For his leadership of the 13th Light Tank Brigade during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line during the Winter War, Baranov was made a Hero of the Soviet Union.

After studying at the Moscow Improvement Courses for commanders of the Motorized and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army between January and October 1933, Baranov returned to his previous post.

When the Nationalist drive on Madrid resumed on 3 January 1937, the brigade was sent to the front, arriving three days later to participate in the Republican counteroffensive.

After returning to the Soviet Union, he was placed at the disposal of the Red Army Personnel Directorate, and in April 1938 appointed commander of the 31st Mechanized Brigade of the Leningrad Military District in Stary Petergof,[3] being promoted to colonel that year.

For his performance, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin on 21 March 1940,[7] receiving a simultaneous promotion to the rank of kombrig.

[6] Hero of the Soviet Union citation During operations against the White Finns, Comrade Colonel Baranov proved himself a courageous and brave commander.

Comrade Baranov skilfully and carefully deployed [his] forces, organized military operations to defeat White Finnish bandits in the areas of the [railway] stations of Kämärä, Lähde, and Leipäsuo, [and] displayed especial courage and gallantry in the battles for the capture of Pienpiro.

[4] He underwent retraining at the Courses of Improvement for Higher Officers (KUVNAS) of the Frunze Military Academy between November 1940 and May 1941, then returned to his command.

Subsequently, the 1st Tank Division fought in defense of the line of Volosovo, Lake Ilmen, Krasnoye Selo, Taytsy, Gatchino, and Pushkin, temporarily halting the German advance.

[7] After graduating from accelerated courses at the academy in January 1946, Baranov was placed at the disposal of the commander-in-chief of the Red Army armored and mechanized forces.

Having completed the one-year Higher Academic Courses of the Voroshilov Academy in November 1954, Baranov became senior military advisor to the commander of the armored and mechanized forces of the Czechoslovak People's Army in February 1955.